A special teacher for special kids

Last week, Christine Wiley’s son Dylan competed in the Winter Special Olympics in Whitefish. His teacher, who was battling a nasty illness, was right there with him as he won two silver medals. That’s what makes Carrie O’Reilly special, Wiley said.

“No matter what, she’s there for the kids and is very involved,” Wiley said. “Raising Dylan is like raising 10 kids. It’s not easy, but we manage somehow. Carrie’s helped me a lot. Teachers like that deserve recognition. It takes an amazing person and a lot of patience.”

O’Reilly, whose been a special education teacher at Columbia Falls High School for five years, blushes at the praise.

She said she couldn’t do her job without the teamwork at the school — from the administration to her fellow teachers. It’s a warm community.

“The kids know us, and we know them, and we have fun with each other,” she said last week. “We get to be ourselves.”

O’Reilly grew up in Chicago and became interested in special education at a young age. She visited the Park Lawn residence in the city, which was a center for disabled adults. Her aunt worked there, and O’Reilly would watch the residents play games in the gym.

She moved to Montana 17 years ago after visiting a friend from college who was working at the Summit House at Big Mountain.

“I forgot to go home,” she joked.

O’Reilly received her master’s in special education from Montana State University-Billings. She has a caseload of 15 students.

Teaching special education students involves more than just academics. Many students need to learn basic life skills and will also do practical work with local businesses in preparation for life after school.

O’Reilly said her caseload runs the gamut of special-needs students. Many businesses in Columbia Falls welcome students. They do jobs like dishwashing, busing tables, stocking shelves and delivering newspapers, just to name a few.

“At one point, we had students in 33 different businesses,” she said.

While it’s often a challenge, O’Reilly wouldn’t give it up.

“I wouldn’t go into regular education,” she said. “We get to do a lot of unique and interesting things.”